People

Ciarán Flynn joined the Botany Department in September 2025 to carry out the AtlanticBryo project. Although a zoologist by training (B.A. in Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, 2024), Ciarán’s foremost interests are in the vascular plant and bryophyte floras of Ireland. His undergraduate dissertation analysed fossil pollen and charcoal to assess potential natural vegetation predictions in Co. Louth. A passion for field botany and a particular fondness for upland habitats led him to become the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s County Recorder for Louth.

Current research

Ciarán’s research examines the internationally important Atlantic bryophytes of Ireland’s temperate rainforests. This interdisciplinary project incorporates various subjects such as population genetics and palaeoecology to investigate Atlantic bryophyte ecology. Through the application of emerging techniques, including AI and super-resolution microscopy, AtlanticBryo will inform the conservation of this special group of plants.